Gowda clueless about son’s claim of bribe offer

New Delhi: Former prime minister Deve Gowda said that he was clueless about his son’s claim that a bribe was offered to clear some defence deals during his tenure.

The former prime minister, while speaking to the media on Thursday said, “I don’t think I need to explain anything to anybody.” “I was never influenced by anyone,” he added.

“I don’t know in what context Kumaraswamy has said what he did. Maybe he was provoked. I am making it amply clear that my party MP nor any MP from any party approached me when I was the PM,” he said tersely.

Gowda further clarified that his son never approached him and that he had no clue about what was going on.

Earlier in the day former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy had said that he was offered a bribe – as kickbacks - to get defence deals cleared when his father HD Deve Gowda was the PM.

However, Kumaraswamy, who served as chief minister of Karnataka during 2006-2007, did not reveal as to what action was taken by him against the middlemen who tried to bribe to fix defence deals through his father.

Later clarifying on the issue, Kumaraswamy said that though he was approached by a middleman, his father Deve Gowda did not know anything about it.

Kumaraswamy would have to explain the delay in coming out with the revelation about the attempt to bribe him, given the important fact that it involves the office of the Prime Minister of India.

Deve Gowda had taken over as prime minister on June 01, 1996 and continued until April 11, 1997. He was the Chairman of the Steering Committee of the United Front, the policy making apex body of all the constituents of the ruling front.